Middlesbrough are unwilling to sell Liverpool and Chelsea target Ben Gibson.
According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Middlesbrough is expecting Ben Gibson to stay put at the Riverside Stadium despite being a reported transfer target of Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool.
Boro got promoted from the Championship into the Premier League last season, but due to a disappointing showing in the English top flight, they have gone back down to the second division, after finishing in 19th spot.
Usually when a club gets relegated, it becomes increasingly difficult for the owners and managers to pursue players to stay on at the club, as they push for a move to a Premier League outfit.
However, English defender Ben Gibson is unlikely to part ways with the club despite them suffering miserably in the top flight. The 24-year-old has played every minute in the Premier League for Boro this season, and will stay put at the club, looking to bounce back season after next.
He is the nephew of club owner Steve Gibson, who is determined to keep the defender at the club, and will turn down all offers that come his way. Steve believes that the 24-year-old is the ideal man to lead Middlesbrough’s promotion charge next season.
This will come as a huge blow to Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea, who were hoping to sign the defender in the summer. Gibson has performed beyond expectations all season, and was awarded his first national call-up in March by head coach Gareth Southgate.
Chelsea won the Premier League with a 1-0 victory against West Brom last Friday and will return to the Champions League next season. Thus, manager Antonio Conte will be looking to add to the depth in his squad, and Gibson could have been a vital acquisition.
He also qualifies as a homegrown player, and could replace the outgoing John Terry, serving as an understudy to the prolific back three of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Gibson would even bolster the Liverpool roster as manager Jurgen Klopp has seen his defence let him down on many occasions this season. While his attacking players have guided them towards a top four finish, their defenders have struggled to maintain consistency.
Recent reports have also been linking the player with a move to the Emirates Stadium, as Arsene Wenger prepares for life without Champions League football for the first time in a number of years.
With Gibson unlikely to move away from Middlesbrough, the aforementioned trio will now have to look elsewhere for alternatives. They may, however, continue their pursuit of the defender, hoping to change his mind and that of the Boro owners.